Another World's Jensen Buchanan
August 11, 1998
SODhost: Another World's Jensen Buchanan (Vicky) is here. Welcome, Jensen!
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Just
want to say "Hi" to everyone! Thanks for being here...
especially all of you who waited for me last
time :) I appreciate all the well wishes, and just
wanted to set the record straight that I did
not have knee surgery. It was a minor operation that I was scheduled for. I was supposed to be in and out on the same day, and it just became a little more complicated. But I appreciate everyone's support.
Vicjak_4EVER asks: I love Vicky and Jake together. Do you think
that Marley is going to end up with Jake or in the same place where Cindy is right now? Remember, VicJak A EVER!!! :o)
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Well,
I love Vicky and Jake together, too, but it's always fun
to have someone come and mix it up with. Ellen's [Wheeler,
Marley] been great and we've have great fun together --
Ellen, Tom [Eplin, Jake] and myself -- and we want to keep
the drama going. So although we'd like to see them
happy, I'm glad to have an obstacle.
MushyT asks: Do you and Tom have a good working relationship?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Oh, phenomenal. We are each other's biggest fans, honest critics and good friends. Tom is a really talented creative artist. Temperamental sometimes, but brilliant most of the time. :) And I feel so lucky to have a chance to work with him.
Vicjak_4EVER asks: Is Vicky Going to find out soon that Donna is
responsible for the hit and run?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I don't really know. Most people who know me, know that I'm not really a story monger. I just sort of take it as it comes and I love what this
secret has given us all to play. As rewarding as it is when secrets are revealed, the tension they provide are a worthwhile tool in a story. And I think there are many of us in this story that are happy that it hasn't been revealed yet. It's given Anna Stuart tons of great stuff to work with.
Jensfan asks: Hi Jens it's Marie. Are you back at work yet?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Tomorrow is my first day back after two weeks off of forced rest. I'm so pleased that an actress like Cynthia Watros was able to fill in. I heard she did a wonderful job and I'm anxious to watch. But I'm also really happy to be back, and reclaim my part. :-)
another_world_fan asks: Are Vicky and Jake going to have a baby?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Again, I really don't know. I think it's somehow going to be part of a coming story but whether it really happens I really don't know the answer for that. I really have my hands full with two children :-)
Jensfan asks: Are you concerned about the cancellation rumors?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I'd
be lying if I said I wasn't concerned, but I think what
I've read is reasonable. We have to get our numbers up.
I think that anyone facing losing their job would be
concerned, but we seem to have quite a bit of support
from the fans, the network and P&G. So as an actor my
only part in the picture is to do the best job I can everyday. Network decisions are out of our hands, but I think we're all somewhat concerned.
TLH_1989 asks: Do you like Vicky and Jake better just as friends, or married?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I think we're friends who are married and I like it.
doys1 asks: Jensen, will Jake and Vicky ever get out of the vacuum
they are in, and interact with other resident's of Bay City?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I think Tom does quite a bit of interacting. In fact I'm hard pressed to find another actor on the show who crosses over with so many other actors. My interaction is somewhat limited because of my schedule, but I think the writers have done a great job interacting us as much as they have, given the scheduling limitations they face.
MushyT asks: Do you have any pets?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I have a Welsh Corgie. His name is Tugger and I've had him longer than I've had my husband or my children. :-)
Rooleroo asks: Do you miss
playing Marley? Was it hard to adjust to someone else playing Marley?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Yes,
I miss playing her, but I'm so happy to have Ellen playing
her again. I think that when you're playing both
characters -- when one person is playing both
characters -- you're always holding back something
from each of them, so you can save something for
each of them. You're also limited by your life
experience, so you can only bring one person's
life experience to both characters. As challenging
as it was an actress for all three of us who have had
the pleasure of playing both characters, to me it's a
far richer situation to have another actress
play my sister.
Bookittycalico asks: If you had a say in the way the character of
Vicki is being written, what would you change? What would you keep the same?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I love the way Vicky has grown. She's a really smart girl and to think that she would live in Bay City for all these years and not adapt is just unreasonable to me. She's just too smart. I love her doing the wrong things for the right reasons and that's always an area with this character that I like to explore.
another_world_fan asks: Jensen you are my favorite actress in
daytime. I have watched you ever since you were on OLTL!
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Thanks.
MushyT asks: Do you enjoy working with your on screen sons?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Oh very much so. Watching these boys grow as people and as actors has been fascinating. Spencer Clark's [Steven] a big movie star now, so we always have a lot of fun teasing him about that. And trying to get him to give up some movie set gossip. Sean [Rademaker, Kirkland] is a very natural little actor. And they're both just sweet kids with great moms.
Jensfan asks: Hey it's Marie :-)...Are you doing any appearances in the near future??
JENSEN BUCHANAN: No. I never have been big on appearances. Only because my life is pretty busy right now. I always love a chance to get out and meet with the fans when I can, but in the near future I have none scheduled.
TLH_1989 asks: Hi Jensen! This is Tracy from Nashville. Just
wanted to let you know what a wonderful job you've been doing. Especially since the accident. Was it hard doing all those emotional scenes for so long?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I love
that kind of stuff. Whenever I pass Charlotte [Savitz,
AW's Executive Producer] in the hallway I murmur,
"Give me pain and agony!" :D I love pain and agony stories! They were painful and they were fun in a certain sick way.
kristine_70 asks: How will Donna deal with her daughters-- whose
side will she chose? Vicky or Marley?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I
think it's unrealistic to think she will choose one or
the other. Donna is a very complex character and she
doesn't live in a black and white world normally, so I think if she struggles through guilt and loyalty and confusion and grief -- almost forgot about all the grief -- she'll probably flip flop back and forth. But in the end, the Hudsons are a family and I can only think we'll find our way back to each other.
klutzy77 asks: Do you think that Nick will ever forgive Vicki and
actually be as close to her as he once was?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: HA! Forgive Vicky?! Vicky who stood by him when everyone else had thought he had raped Toni! I have just about had it with Nick's attitude! He better be ready to ready to ask me to forgive him for not forgiving me! :-D
kristine_70 asks: You gotta love Lila and Cass -- are Vicky and Lila done "hating" each other?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I hope not. And I don't think so. We've been through so much together that I don't think you can just wake up one day and forget. On some level, I think Lila and Vicky have to respect each other's smarts. Maybe someday, an alliance is in the future. Who knows?
backstreeterin asks: First of all, I love Another World. Do you think Marley is gonna succeed in splitting Jake and Vicky up? I hope not.
JENSEN
BUCHANAN: Ultimately,
I don't think so, but I'm really just
guessing, I really don't know. But
if it gives us another six or eight
months of intrigue and mystery and
great story, I'm ready for the ride.
coolkidd1 asks: Is Tom really as comical as his character Jake on AW?
JENSEN
BUCHANAN: Yes. Sometimes
I think he has to hold back, because let's face it, we're on national television. But Tom is a little more ... hmmm... just the right word escapes me... Smarter than Jake isn't quite it. Maybe just more "Feet on the Ground" than Jake.
nob3 asks: Are you and your family enjoying living in Vermont or do you miss being in the city?
JENSEN
BUCHANAN: I love living
in Vermont. It's been the greatest
thing for my boys. And I don't miss
the city because I'm still here at least
three times a week. I find I do and see
more than I ever did when I lived here.
But I am really a country girl at heart
and I'm really happy to be raising my boys
in that kind of environment.
SueluvsAW asks: Hi Jensen, do you ever ski in the Killington area?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Well I'm a big snowboarder now, and I do snowboard at Killington. You can usually find me on the bunny slope. I'm the one sitting down on the bunny slope! :D
kristine_70 asks: Will Vicky finally realize that Marley is manipulating everyone around her?
JENSEN
BUCHANAN: Well, one
the one hand I say, "I sure as
heck hope so," since I go on and on about
how smart Vicky is. But on the
other I go back to what I said
before about secrets and what
they provide. So as agonizing
as it is sometimes to not get,
what seems to be right in front
of your face, it really does make
for good story. I also believe in
life that truth can stare you right
in the face sometimes and if you don't want to see it, you don't see it. I'm sure there's some of that with Marley and Vicky.
Jensfan asks: Are you loving having a real sister again, like you
had at OLTL?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Absolutely. I loved working with Jessica Tuck [ex-Megan] and thought we had a wonderful sibling relationship. I'm so excited to have a chance to explore that with Ellen. I hope we're not always on opposing teams. But, I've had just tremendous fun investigating this relationship. It's far more complicated than my sibling relationship on OLTL ever was.
lauram16_98 asks: Have you thought about doing feature films, or
are any in the works?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I thought about it when I was about 23 and not as experienced as I am now. Now my life has changed and I'm not as interested in a living a vagabond kind of life and dragging my family all over. They say that timing is everything and now my responsibilities are to two little guys.
Ronnie_9094 asks: Jensen, you are my favorite actress! What do
you like to do in your spare time?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I like to mow the lawn. :D I love yard work. I like being outside. I like horseback riding. Cooking on the grill. Sounds glamorous doesn't it? :)
Rooleroo asks: Do you have a special diet/exercise regimen to stay in such great shape?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: My life is my exercise. Lifting Angus, he's my weight regime :) and as far as eating goes, I eat the way my grandmother taught me, which is, everything in moderation.
lark89 asks: What is your favorite movie?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Remains of the Day. There is something so romantic to me about a deep love that is never fully realized. I loved that movie because it was visually so beautiful, but I thought the performances were so delicate and achingly restrained. That's my favorite movie today :)
TLH_1989 asks: Is that drive of yours to work awful? Do you ever
think about moving closer to work? Sorry you have such a long way to go, but as a fan, I'm really glad you do it.
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Sometimes the drive is awful and sometimes it's very peaceful. I have four and a half, uninterrupted hours where I can listen to music, write a screenplay, and just brainstorm about millions of thoughts and ideas. I talk on the phone a lot. But I also fly much more than I drive these days
lianaf22 asks: Hi Jensen! How many children do you have?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I have two children, two boys, two & a half and four.
Marty2634 asks: Hello Jensen, Did you always want to be an actress?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: When I was about 8 years old, my mom took me to NYC to see Fiddler on the Roof. I was so excited I threw up in the cab, but we persevered and saw it anyway and from that moment on, I was hooked. :)
another_world_fan asks: Jensen I loved the boat scene with Lila,
Grant, and Donna!
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I had fun with those scenes too. It was so cathartic to finally give all those weenies a piece of my mind! :) Those are the satisfying moments when secrets become unraveled.
coolkidd1 asks: Do you watch your show?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Selectively. I watch it when there are scenes I particularly want to see. Not only of mine, but of other people's, too.
bella_43 asks: Do you like working with Ellen Wheeler?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Yeah, I love working with Ellen. From the minute we met, it was mystifyingly comfortable and easy. Outside of work we have a lot of things in common, so we have a type of unspoken common ground that has helped our sisterly relationship.
another_world_fan asks: Jensen I am from Alabama I heard that you were born here do you ever plan on coming back?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I was born in Montgomery, Alabama and went back once -- my mother took me back to see the house I was born in. I don't have any plans to return in the near future, but I don't have any plans to not to either. :)
SODhost:
We're curious... Obviously, you and
Ellen have met, but have all three
Vicky/Marleys met?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I don't know if Ellen's met Anne [Heche], but I have met Anne and Ellen, but not together.
Rooleroo asks: Is there anyone on AW that you haven't had the chance to act with, that you would like to act with?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: John Littlefield tested for Shane when they were thinking of recasting the part and we had a lot of fun working together during that test. I also have always had fun working with Mark Pinter [Grant] and I'm always happy when I break down a script and see that we have scenes together. Of course Sandy Ferguson [Amanda] is an old friend and I'm looking forward to crossing paths with her. Vicky and Amanda have also had quite a history the past couple of years. It's really hard to narrow it down, because I really like everyone in our cast. And I'm really happy when I get a chance to work with anyone new, or out of the ordinary for me. It's really fun to learn other people's rhythms...
coolkidd1 asks: I heard you are also a very talented singer. Are you performing anywhere in the near future?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: In my shower and my living room.. Sometimes on my tractor :) But not publicly.
Jazper_98 asks: Jensen, where did your parents come up with your
name?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Jensen is a family name. I used to hate it when I was a child. I threatened to change my name to the most common normal name any time I got mad at my mother, I was convinced she named me Jensen to get back at me someway. But I've grown to like it quite a bit and actually know a lot of Jensen's. Having an unusual name is character building as a child, I think. That's what I'll tell Angus when he blames me. :D
SueluvsAW asks: Do you ever want to have scenes with Grant again? I think it would be interesting?
JENSEN BUCHANAN: I don't know how I could ever not have scenes with Grant, because we're connected by Kirkland. At least that would be my wish. Personally, I really love Mark Pinter. I feel that we have been through so much together, I mean as people, having children -- not together, I mean. But I've known him for so many years and I love him as an actor and a person. It's very easy and comfortable to work with Mark, so I always hope we'll have that connection. Grant's so much fun to hate.
kit_40741 asks: Are you happy with the evolution Vicky has made
since you first took over the role? She has become such a positive role model for young women.
JENSEN
BUCHANAN: Oh, I'm so
happy! It's like I was saying before.
We grow and change as people and I'm
so pleased with the direction Vicky's gone.
Sure she makes mistakes, who doesn't? But
I think she's a real person-accessible character and it's one of the reasons I love her and love what the writers continue to do with this complex character.
SODhost: Thank you, Jensen! And thank you all for chatting with
us.
JENSEN BUCHANAN: Thanks again for joining us. I'm so happy to be going back to work tomorrow and I'll see you all on air in about two weeks. Goodnight and God Bless.